Wall construction



I May 16, 1939.

c. R. EMERY 2,158,412

WALL CONSTRUCTION Filed Mar'ch 4, 1938 IN VENT OR. CUM #2 Es K? fmu-wP v ATTORNEY.

Patented May 16, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFECE 15 Claims.

This invention relates to the construction of walls and has for its object to provide a wall composed of blocks constructed and arranged to provide a space therein in which air is free to circulate whereby moisture will not penetrate through the wall. The outside surface is weather resistant and the inside may be finished as by the direct application of a coat of plaster or paint thereto.

More specifically, the object is to provide a wall composed of blocks assembled in courses and having communicating spaces whereby air may circulate both vertically and longitudinally of the wall, without interruption at corners, windows or doors. According to this construction, a horizontal line passing through the blocks at any point the wall will pass through an air space.

Another object is to provide a wall composed of blocks constructed and arranged in courses whereby they form a zigzag channel extending lengthwise of each course, the blocks of alternate courses being staggered whereby the zigzag channel of any course is non-parallel with the channels of a next adjacent course. In combination with such an arrangement, the invention provides a half-block of special form and adapted for use at the corners of angularly disposed wall portions to provide communication between the zigzag channels of such portions, and also adapted for use adjacent window and door frames to provide communication between the zigzag channels on opposite sides of such frames.

In the accompanying drawing Figs. 1 and 2 are perspective views of a wall;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the wall, and

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section illustrating a window assembled in the wall. v

The main portion of the wall is formed of courses of blocks. Each course is composed of inner blocks l and outer blocks 2, with both the inner and outer blocks having parallel topand bottom surfaces extending perpendicular to their exposed faces. The blocks I and 2 are identical as to shape and are formed with V-shaped projections 3. The inner blocks are staggered relative to the outer blocks whereby the projections thereon extend into the angles formed by the projections on the outer blocks and vice versa, the projections on the inner and outer blocks being relatively spaced whereby they form a zigzag channel ii. The projections 3, on both the inner and outer blocks, have openings 5 extending vertically therethrough thus forming blocks of triangular horizontal section.

As may be observed by comparing Figures 1 and 2, the courses of blocks are staggered. The projections on the inner blocks of one course overlie the projections on the outer blocks of the course below and are mortar bonded thereto. Likewise, the outer blocks of said course overlie 5 the projections on the inner blocks of the course below and are mortar bonded thereto. The spaced apart inner and outer blocks of each course are thus firmly united in the wall structure, and although the zigzag channels of alternate courses 10 are non-parallel, they communicate one with another.

At the corner of the wall is provided a corner piece 6 having a shoulder l mortar bonded to the adjacent outer block 2 of one portion of the 15 wall and a tapered end B similarly bonded to the adjacent outer block 2 of the other portion of the wall. The tapered end 8 co-operates with the adjacent inner block and provides a continuation 9 of the adjacent zigzag channel 4. A halfa block l0, composed of two angularly disposed legs l l and i2, has its longer leg l2 bonded by mortar to the adjacent inner blocks l and its shorter leg H co-operates with the adjacent outer block 2 to provide a continuation of the adjacent channel '3 to connect it with the continuation 9 and the channel t in the other portion of the wall. As a result, air may circulate around the corner.

' It will also be noted upon comparing Figs. 1

and 2 that the corner construction above de- 30 scribed is present in the two different courses shown, and that the arrangement in one course is opposite to that in the other course.

In Fig. 4 the half-block ll? is illustrated in conjunction with a window frame It having ver- 3 tically sliding sash l5 equipped with the usual counter weights Hi. The longer leg l2 provides an abutment for the frame whereas the shorter leg l l terminates in spaced relation to the frame. The space thus provided accommodates the sash counter weights and also provides for communication between the zigzag channels on opposite sides of the frame with those extending above and below the frame.

The arrangement of the blocks in conjunction with door frames is similar to that above described with the exception that the counter weights will be absent.

Having thus described the invention What is claimed as new, is:

1. A corner construction for a. wall built of blocks arranged in courses one above the other comprising hollow blocks, one of said blocks constituting an outside corner piece and having a projection extending rearwardly of the exposed faces thereof, and two additional blocks having faces which meet to form the inside corner and each having a projection spaced from the projection of said outside corner piece to form an air space around said corner.

2. A corner construction for a wall built of blocks arranged in courses one above the other comprising hollow blocks, one of said blocks constituting an outside corner piece and having a projection extending rearwardly of the exposed faces thereof, one of said exposed faces being longer than the other thereof, that part of the projection extending rearwardly of the longer of said faces forming an acute angle therewith,

' and two additional blocks having faces which meet to form the inside corner of the wall and each having a projection extending from the exposed face thereof, both projections -of said two blocks being spaced from the projection of said outside piece with the projection of one of said two blocks paralleling that part of the projection-of the outside block which forms an acute angle with the longer exposed face thereof.

3. A corner construction for a wall built of blocks arranged in courses one above the other comprising hollow blocks, one of said blocks constituting an outside corner piece and having a projectionextending rearwardly of the two exposed faces thereof, one of said exposed faces being longer than the other, that part of the projection which extends from one end of said longer face forming an acute angle therewith, that part of said projection which extends from the shorter face thereof forming a right angle therewith whereby said corner piece .has four sides, and two additional blocks having faces which meet to form the inside corner of the wall and each havingprojections extending rearwardly therefrom, theprojections of both of said two blocks being spaced from the projection of said outside corner space to form an airspace between the inside and outside blocks.

A corner construction for .a wall .built of 0 blocks arranged in courses one above .the .other comprisinghollow blocks, one-of said blocks constituting an outside corner piece and .having a projection extending rearwardly of the exposed faces thereof, and two additional blocks having faces which meet to form the inside corner and each havinga projection spaced from the projection of said outside-corner piece to form an air space around said corner, one of said two blocks having a length twice as great as that of the other one.

5. A corner construction for a wall built of blocks arranged in courses one above the other comprising hollow blocks, :one of said'blocksxconstituting an outside :corner piece and having a projection-extending 'rearwardly of the exposed faces thereof, one of 'said exposed faces having a slength substantially equal to the thickness of the wall, the other of saidlexposed faces having a length approximately twice :that of thefirst named vside, and two additional blocks having faces which meet to form the inside :corner of the wall .and each having .a projection spaced from the projection of said outside-corner piece to form an air .space aroundthe corner.

6. A corner construction for 'a wall built :of blocks arranged in courses .one above the other .comprisinghollow blocks one of ,said blocks constituting .an outside corner ,piece and having a ,projection .extending .rearwardly .of .the exposed -faces thereof, oneof said "exposed faces having long as the other, the projection of the longer of said two blocks paralleling a portion of the projection of the outside block.

7. A corner construction for a wall built of blocks arranged in courses one above the other comprising hollow blocks, one of said blocks constituting .an outside corner piece and having a projection extending rearwardly of the two exposed faces thereof, one of said exposed faces beinglonger than the other, that part of the projection which extends from one end of said longer face :forming an acute angle therewith, that part of saidprojection which extends from'the shorter face thereof forming a right angle therewith whereby said corner piece has four sides, and two additional blocks having faces which meet to form the inside corner of the wall andeacli having projections extending rearwardly therefrom, the projections of both'of said two blocks being spaced from the projection of said'outside corner space to form an 'air space between the inside and outside blocks, one of said two blocks beingrapproximately twice the length of the other thereof with a length of the projection of the .longer one thereof paralleling that part of the projection of the outside block which forms an acute angle with the longer face of said outside block.

8. .Acorner construction according to claim 1 in combination with side walls for each of said coursescomposed of innerand outer blocks/each having ,projections extending into the wall from the exposed surfaces thereof, the interior one of said blocks being staggered longitudinally and spaced laterally with respect to the exterior-ones thereof *thereby'continuing the air space around said corner along eachside wall therefrom.

.9. A wall construction comprising a plurality of blocks of triangular horizontal cross-section laid :incourses one above the other, the blocks of each course being horizontally staggered from inside to outside and laterally spaced thereby :forming a continuous air passage, and a corner construction for the wall comprising a block havingfour vertical sides two of which form a right angle for the outside corner of the wall and two ofwhich form an acute angle, an inside hori zontally triangular block having one apex at the inside corner of the wall and a block of the shape of substantially half a triangle having one leg meeting said apex, said four sided block .being :horizontally spaced from the other two corner blocks thereby forming a continuous air passage around said corner.

.10. A corner construction for a wall built of blocks arranged in'courses one above theother comprising hollow blocks, one of said blocks constituting .anoutside corner piece and having a projection extending rearwardly of the exposed faces thereof, one of said exposed faces being substantially twice as long as the other, and

having .a projection spaced from the projection of said outside cornerpiece toform an airspace therewith,-the.outsidecorner piece of one ofssaid courses being inverted and at a horizontal angle of substantially ninety degrees with respect to the corner pieces of the course next thereabove and next therebelow.

11. A corner construction for a wall built of blocks arranged in courses one above the other comprising hollow blocks, one of said blocks constituting an outside corner piece and having a projection extending rearwardly of the exposed faces thereof, one of said exposed faces being longer than the other thereof, that part of the projection extending rearwardly of the longer of said faces forming an acute angle therewith, and two additional blocks having faces which meet to form the inside corner of the wall and each having a projection extending from the exposed face thereof, both projections of said two blocks being spaced from the projection of said outside piece with the projection of one of said two blocks paralleling that part of the projection of the outside blocks which forms an acute angle with the longer exposed face thereof, the outside corner piece of one of said courses being inverted and at a horizontal angle of ninety degrees with respect to the corner pieces of the course next thereabove and next therebelow.

12. A corner construction for a wall built of blocks arranged in courses one above the other comprising hollow blocks, one of said blocks constituting an outside corner piece and having a projection extending rearwardly of the exposed faces thereof, one of said exposed faces being substantially twice as long as the other, and two additional blocks having faces which meet to form the inside corner of the wall and each having a projection spaced from the projection of said outside corner piece to form an air space therewith, the outside corner piece of one of said courses being inverted and at a horizontal angle of substantially ninety degrees with respect to the corner pieces of the course next thereabove and next therebelow, one of said two additional blocks being substantially twice as long as the other, the two additional blocks of one course alternating in position with those of the course next thereabove and therebelow.

13. A wall construction comprising a plurality of blocks laid in courses one above the other,

thereof, said projections being staggered 1on gitudinally of the wall and spaced laterally of each other to form an air space therebetween continuous along sidewalls and around corners, the blocks of one course being longitudinally staggered with respect to the blocks next thereabove and next therebelow, and mortar joints interlocking the projections of one block with the projections of two blocks thereabove and two blocks therebelow.

14. A wall construction comprising a plurality of blocks laid in courses, one course above the other, each of said courses comprising an inside row and an outside row of blocks, those of said blocks which form an uninterrupted wall being of hollow triangular shape in top plan view with the blocks of one of said rows horizontally staggered and laterally spaced from the blocks of the other row thereby forming a continuous air space between said rows, and a block for terminating one of said rows at equal length with the other having one side equal in length to substantially half the length of one of said triangular blocks and having a projection extending from one end thereof substantially parallel to the projection of the block in the other row adjacent thereto but of shorter length than the adjacent projection.

15. A wall construction comprising blocks arranged in courses one course above the other, each of said courses comprising a double row of horizontally spaced longitudinally staggered blocks triangular in top plan view, and a terminating block for one of said rows of V-shape in top plan view with one branch thereof shorter than the other, the blocks of one course being horizontally staggered with respect to the blocks of the courses next thereabove and next therebelow, said V shaped block alternating in position as to said rows in the courses next thereabove and next therebelow.

CHARLES R. EMERY. 

